Best advice for fixing stroke and line of aim

You have to keep perfectly still, or try to anyway. Keeping the head still has a knock on effect across the entire body and shot. Don't rush the shot or try to hit it harder than is needed, which is a common problem people face with distance.

Ding, who I consider to be one of the best long potters in the world has almost no head movement. The least head movement out of anyone I've ever seen first hand. It's what we should all be striving towards.
 
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Pidge said:
You have to keep perfectly still, or try to anyway. Keeping the head still has a knock on effect across the entire body and shot. Don't rush the shot or try to hit it harder than is needed, which is a common problem people face with distance.

Ding, who I consider to be one of the best long potters in the world has almost no head movement. The least head movement out of anyone I've ever seen first hand. It's what we should all be striving towards.
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This has been a big help to me. It's more than just not jumping up, but avoiding that little flinch a lot of players have. Fergal O'Brien always amazes me with how still he is no matter the pace of the shot.

As for the technique Bob is talking about, I'm not sure what specifically he means. But a couple things that spring to mind is first the 3 point contact which has been mentioned here before, but also the approach to the shot. Nic Barrow talks about getting your cue, bridge hand and head aligned long before you are down on the shot.

Here is a video of him discussing it better than I can. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8wafKOsa8-M
 
4 point contact is a lot more beneficial on the 10ft + shots.

The video with nic is fantastic. It will cure all your alignment issues if done properly.
 
Pidge said:
4 point contact is a lot more beneficial on the 10ft + shots.

The video with nic is fantastic. It will cure all your alignment issues if done properly.
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I'm not familiar with 4 point contact. I know chin, chest, grip. What is the fourth?

I really like the video, though I struggle with my feet placement to get everything in line as early as he does.
 
I have nothing against the touch points approach, and if it suits players, then that's fine for them. However, I just want to point out that snooker is not pool. Many pool players, including myself, have found that methodology to be restrictive at times. A whole lot of top pool players align themselves just fine without utilizing the touch points methodology.
 
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Cameron Smith said:
This has been a big help to me. It's more than just not jumping up, but avoiding that little flinch a lot of players have. Fergal O'Brien always amazes me with how still he is no matter the pace of the shot.

As for the technique Bob is talking about, I'm not sure what specifically he means. But a couple things that spring to mind is first the 3 point contact which has been mentioned here before, but also the approach to the shot. Nic Barrow talks about getting your cue, bridge hand and head aligned long before you are down on the shot.

Here is a video of him discussing it better than I can. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8wafKOsa8-M
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A lot of very fine players move during the shot, but there is a difference in results between moving forward and down with the shot and jumping awards and away from the shot.
 
FranCrimi said:
I have nothing against the touch points approach, and if it suits players, then that's fine for them. However, I just want to point out that snooker is not pool. Many pool players, including myself, have found that methodology to be restrictive at times. A whole lot of top pool players align themselves just fine without utilizing the touch points methodology.
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I agree it isn't for everyone. But I feel you must have been doing something unorthodox if you found it to be restrictive. When done correctly your cueing accuracy goes through the roof and with that you are able to develop greater accurate cue power which is the important thing.

The only way I can see it being restrictive is on the break, if you like to swipe at the cue ball to apply English or if you have a noticeable upward movement of the butt as you pull back as this will cause the head to raise or move to the side if you play with the cue more towards the side of the chin. With the swipe technique the chest gets in the way and really restricts how much you can swipe... Which if you have an unintentional swipe it's a good thing... If you mean to swipe it's a bad thing.

More and more pool players are adopting fundamentals and techniques from snooker. A new generation is forming in a sort of hybrid technique that gathers the best techniques from both games. I think this is brilliant. Pool is generally quite open to new ideas and techniques whereas snooker is very close minded. They will never adopt the good things from pool as far as technique goes and that is a major flaw of the game I think. Who knows how good the snooker players in 50 years time could be if they adopted some new techniques?
 
One Pocket John said:
Will do Bob.

John
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Bob Jewett said:
First, I'd like you to watch a match (any one will probably do) between Ronnie O'Sullivan and Mark Selby. Notice how they play and what is different between their fundamentals and yours.
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Hey Bob,

I think I have watched on YT every match Ronnie O has ever played.

The only difference I can see is the stance. He seems to be using what I would call a dart or Casting type stroke and naturally the 2 or 3 point cue guidance points.

I'm a pool player not a snooker player so my stance is not like his nor do I use a 2 or 3 point cue guidance system.

What is second? :)

John
 
I can't wait for Bob to reply. I assume his answer will be something I take for granted but I'm hoping he has picked up on something I've never noticed before that I can test out.
 
Pidge said:
I can't wait for Bob to reply. I assume his answer will be something I take for granted but I'm hoping he has picked up on something I've never noticed before that I can test out.
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I think you won't be surprised.

Snooker players have a repeatable, accurate stroke because they have feedback on every shot they take about where their cue stick is relative to their heads. Their eyes are in the best place -- in my opinion -- to see whether a long shot is aligned right. The get that primarily from having chins on cues.

As for the "I'm not a snooker player" comment above ... then don't expect to have a stroke as accurate as a snooker player.

I have been working on my fundamentals recently and that includes getting as low as possible including chin-on-cue if it's not too painful. I think this has helped me.

So, snooker players have that immediate feedback. Most pool players don't. Pool players like to use lots of goofy fixes to their broken fundamentals, piling patch on top of patch. Maybe that's not the best way to learn. Maybe simpler and more repeatable is better.
 
Pidge said:
I agree it isn't for everyone. But I feel you must have been doing something unorthodox if you found it to be restrictive. When done correctly your cueing accuracy goes through the roof and with that you are able to develop greater accurate cue power which is the important thing.

The only way I can see it being restrictive is on the break, if you like to swipe at the cue ball to apply English or if you have a noticeable upward movement of the butt as you pull back as this will cause the head to raise or move to the side if you play with the cue more towards the side of the chin. With the swipe technique the chest gets in the way and really restricts how much you can swipe... Which if you have an unintentional swipe it's a good thing... If you mean to swipe it's a bad thing.

More and more pool players are adopting fundamentals and techniques from snooker. A new generation is forming in a sort of hybrid technique that gathers the best techniques from both games. I think this is brilliant. Pool is generally quite open to new ideas and techniques whereas snooker is very close minded. They will never adopt the good things from pool as far as technique goes and that is a major flaw of the game I think. Who knows how good the snooker players in 50 years time could be if they adopted some new techniques?
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I was one of the first players (maybe even the first) in the WPBA before Allison and Karen came to the USA to adopt snooker fundamentals into my game. I studied and experimented extensively and I found compromises that work. Touch points do not work for certain types of pool players and certain types of pool shots. I wasn't doing anything unorthodox. When Allison came to the USA I watched her go through a similar process as I did, and I observed the changes in her fundamentals from tournament to tournament as she became more acclimated to pool. It's not just touch points. It's also stance issues as well.

As I wrote before, there are plenty of great pool players who align just fine without touch points. But I have nothing against them if you feel that's best for you. However, I do want others to know that there are other ways that combine elements of both styles that work great.
 
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FranCrimi said:
I was one of the first players (maybe even the first) in the WPBA before Allison and Karen came to the USA to adopt snooker fundamentals into my game. I studied and experimented extensively and I found compromises that work. Touch points do not work for certain types of pool players and certain types of pool shots. I wasn't doing anything unorthodox. When Allison came to the USA I watched her go through a similar process as I did, and I observed the changes in her fundamentals from tournament to tournament as she became more acclimated to pool. It's not just touch points. It's also stance issues as well.

As I wrote before, there are plenty of great pool players who align just fine without touch points. But I have nothing against them if you feel that's best for you. However, I do want others to know that there are other ways that combine elements of both styles that work great.[/QUOTE]
fran
could you explain alittle more
how alison changed her fundamentals
and the ways to combine elements of both (snooker and pool)
please
thank you
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bbb said:
FranCrimi said:
I was one of the first players (maybe even the first) in the WPBA before Allison and Karen came to the USA to adopt snooker fundamentals into my game. I studied and experimented extensively and I found compromises that work. Touch points do not work for certain types of pool players and certain types of pool shots. I wasn't doing anything unorthodox. When Allison came to the USA I watched her go through a similar process as I did, and I observed the changes in her fundamentals from tournament to tournament as she became more acclimated to pool. It's not just touch points. It's also stance issues as well.

As I wrote before, there are plenty of great pool players who align just fine without touch points. But I have nothing against them if you feel that's best for you. However, I do want others to know that there are other ways that combine elements of both styles that work great.[/QUOTE]
fran
could you explain alittle more
how alison changed her fundamentals
and the ways to combine elements of both (snooker and pool)
please
thank you
Click to expand...


Mostly stance adjustments. Allowing herself a little more swing room by changing placement of the feet. Bending both knees, then not bending both knees as much. It was a process that took time.

That's the best I can remember. It was a long time ago.
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FranCrimi said:
I was one of the first players (maybe even the first) in the WPBA before Allison and Karen came to the USA to adopt snooker fundamentals into my game. I studied and experimented extensively and I found compromises that work. Touch points do not work for certain types of pool players and certain types of pool shots. I wasn't doing anything unorthodox. When Allison came to the USA I watched her go through a similar process as I did, and I observed the changes in her fundamentals from tournament to tournament as she became more acclimated to pool. It's not just touch points. It's also stance issues as well.

As I wrote before, there are plenty of great pool players who align just fine without touch points. But I have nothing against them if you feel that's best for you. However, I do want others to know that there are other ways that combine elements of both styles that work great.
Click to expand...


In my opinion, one of the best examples of an American player today that combines elements of both snooker and pool in their fundamentals is Mike Dechaine.
 
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